Reform government apprenticeship levy, employers say

Critics say the apprenticeship levy is leading to a decline in training opportunitiesAlamy

Employers have demanded reforms of the apprenticeship levy, with more than a quarter claiming that it has had a negative impact on their business.

Small businesses said the policy came with unnecessarily onerous requirements, according to a survey by the Federation of Small Businesses.

The government levy was introduced in April 2017 and requires employers with an annual wage bill of more than £3 million to pay 0.5 per cent of payroll costs into a fund for training. But over the past two years it has faced a barrage of criticism from employers, who say the system is too inflexible.

Critics say it is resulting in a decline in training opportunities as well as the emergence of lower-quality schemes, while a series of surveys have…

Want to read more?

Subscribe now and get unlimited digital access on web and our smartphone and tablet apps, free for your first month.